Patterns of Malnutrition in Children Aged Six Months to Five Years: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study in Eastern Uttar Pradesh

Background: Children are the most important asset of the country. They are the future of their country. Malnutrition commonly affects all groups in a community, but the most vulnerable are infants and young children because of their high nutritional requirements for growth and development. The present study was planned to estimate the prevalence of malnutrition in this area and the factors contributing to it in this geographical region. It may be helpful in improving the nutritional status of children in this area. The present study was undertaken to assess the prevalence and determinants of underweight among children aged six months to five years in Eastern Uttar Pradesh. Methods: A study was conducted in Eastern Uttar Pradesh. Among the children aged six months to five years, the targeted study population of 370 participants was selected from the four villages of Block Primary Health Center (PHC) after implementing the exclusion criteria. The study design was cross-sectional, and a multistage random sampling technique was used. Data were collected through a house-to-house survey by interviewing the mother/father/guardian of the children. The nutritional status of preschool children was evaluated using the 2006 World Health Organization (WHO) Growth Standards. Z-scores were computed for weight-for-age (underweight), height-for-age (stunting), and weight-for-height (wasting). To compute the Z-scores, the individual value was subtracted from the median reference value and divided by the standard deviation of the reference population. A Z-score below -2 SD from the median was used to identify malnutrition, with Z-scores below -3 SD indicating severe undernutrition. Results: The present study was conducted with 370 children aged six months to five years. Of the 370 participants, 94.6% were Hindu, while 5.4% were Muslim. Among the participants, 48.4% were male and 51.6% were female. The majority of fathers had an education up to middle school, while most mothers were educated up to primary school level (35.1%), and 27.6% were illiterate. A significant portion of fathers were semi-skilled workers, and most mothers were unemployed. The majority of participants belonged to lower-middle socioeconomic status and lived in nuclear families. The prevalence of underweight, stunting, and wasting among the children was 30.8%, 30.5%, and 16.5%, respectively. Conclusions: Though many mothers were illiterate or educated up to primary school, malnutrition was more prevalent among their children. Mothers should be provided with special counseling regarding breastfeeding and complementary feeding.